Family Aizoaceae is a group of diverse succulent plants that is often referred to as the ice plant family. The family includes a wide range of species, mostly from southern Africa, with some from South and Central America. A few popular synonyms for Aizoaceae are Mesembryanthemaceae and Ficoidaceae. The term Mesembryanthemaceae means "midday flowers" and refers to the fact that many species in this family only open their flowers during the daytime. Ficoidaceae is derived from the genus Ficoides, which is a group of plants with distinctive leaves that resemble fig leaves. These synonyms are often used interchangeably for family Aizoaceae.